Sucralose

Calorie Control Council | Low Calorie Sweeteners - Sucralose

Sucralose is the only non-caloric sweetener made from sugar.
Sucralose is derived from sugar through a multi-step patented
manufacturing process that selectively substitutes three atoms of
chlorine for three hydroxyl groups on the sugar molecule. This change
produces a sweetener that has no calories, yet is 600 times sweeter
than sucrose. Sucralose tastes like sugar. It has a clean, quickly
perceptible, sweet taste that does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste.
The exceptional stability of sucralose allows both food manufacturers
and consumers to use it virtually anywhere sugar is used, including
cooking and baking.

Discovered in 1976, sucralose has been developed jointly by McNeil
Specialty Products Company, a member of the Johnson & Johnson
Family of Companies, and Tate & Lyle, PLC, a world leader in
sweeteners and starches. Sucralose was granted approval by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 1, 1998 and approved for
use in 15 food and beverage categories. This is the broadest initial
approval ever granted by FDA for a food ingredient. The FDA expanded
the uses for sucralose in 1999, approving it as a "general purpose"
sweetener. Sucralose has also been approved for use in foods and
beverages in more than 40 countries including Canada, Australia and
Mexico.

Sucralose is not utilized for energy in the body because it is not
broken down like sucrose. It passes rapidly through the body virtually
unchanged. Sucralose has been extensively tested in more than 100
studies during a 20-year period and found to be a safe and remarkably
inert ingredient. It can be used by all populations, including pregnant
women, nursing mothers, and children of all ages. No population
subgroup has been excluded from using sucralose. Sucralose is
beneficial for individuals with diabetes because research demonstrates
that sucralose has no effect on carbohydrate metabolism, short- or
long-term blood glucose control, or insulin secretion.

One advantage of sucralose for food and beverage manufacturers and
consumers is its exceptional stability. It retains its sweetness over a
wide range of temperature and storage conditions and in solutions over
time. Because of its stability, food manufacturers can use sucralose to
create a number of great-tasting new foods and beverages in categories
such as canned fruit, low-calorie fruit drinks, baked goods, and sauces
and syrups. Sucralose also can be used as a sweetener in nutritional
supplements, medical foods, and vitamin/mineral supplements.

Sucralose is available as an ingredient for use in a broad range of
foods and beverages under the name SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener.
Currently, a range of products sweetened with SPLENDA are on
supermarket shelves, such as carbonated soft drinks, low-calorie fruit
drinks, maple syrup, and apple sauce.

Sucralose is available in supermarkets as a tabletop sweetener under
the brand name SPLENDA in two forms ? granular and packets. The
granular tabletop sweetener can be used as a spoon-for-spoon
replacement for sugar. It pours, measures, and cooks and bakes like
sugar. The convenient packet form can be used to sweeten beverages and
sprinkle on cereal or fruit.

BENEFITS

Tastes Like Sugar — Sucralose tastes like sugar and has
no unpleasant aftertaste. In scientific taste tests conducted by
independent research organizations, sucralose was found to have a taste
profile very similar to sugar.

Can Help Control Caloric Intake — Sucralose is not
metabolized, thus it has no calories. It passes rapidly through the
body virtually unchanged, is unaffected by the body's digestive
process, and does not accumulate in the body. By replacing sucralose
for sugar in foods and beverages, calories can be reduced
substantially, or, in many products, practically eliminated.

Advantageous for People with Diabetes — Sucralose is not
recognized as sugar or a carbohydrate by the body. Thus, it has no
effect on glucose utilization, carbohydrate metabolism, the secretion
of insulin, or glucose and fructose absorption. Studies in persons with
normal blood glucose levels and in persons with either type 1 or type 2
diabetes have confirmed that sucralose has no effect on short- or
long-term blood glucose control.

Does Not Promote Tooth Decay — Scientific studies have
shown that sucralose does not support the growth of oral bacteria and
does not promote tooth decay.

Extraordinary Heat Stability — Sucralose is
exceptionally heat stable, making it ideal for use in baking, canning,
pasteurization, aseptic processing and other manufacturing processes
that require high temperatures. In studies among a range of baked
goods, canned fruits, syrups, and jams and jellies, no measurable loss
of sucralose occurred during processing and throughout shelf life.

Long Shelf Life — Sucralose combines the taste of sugar
with the heat, liquid and storage stability required for use in all
types of foods and beverages. It is particularly stable in acidic
products, such as carbonated soft drinks, and in other liquid based
products (e.g., sauces, jelly, milk products, processed fruit drinks).
Sucralose is also very stable in dry applications such as powdered
beverages, instant desserts, and tabletop sweeteners.

Ingredient Compatibility — Sucralose has excellent
solubility characteristics for use in food and beverage manufacturing
and it is highly compatible with commonly used food ingredients,
including flavors, seasonings, and preservatives.

SAFETY

The safety of sucralose is documented by one of the most extensive and
thorough safety testing programs ever conducted on a new food additive.
More than 100 studies conducted and evaluated over a 20-year period
clearly demonstrate the safety of sucralose. Studies were conducted in
a broad range of areas to assess whether there were any safety risks
regarding cancer, genetic effects, reproduction and fertility, birth
defects, immunology, the central nervous system, and metabolism. These
studies clearly indicate that sucralose: